1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system, and in particular, to a method and apparatus for managing hardware and software components. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for automatically identifying and combining components to achieve functionality requirements.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern computing technology has resulted in immensely complicated and ever-changing environments. One such environment is the Internet, which is also referred to as an “internetwork.” The Internet is a set of computer networks, possibly dissimilar, joined together by means of gateways that handle data transfer and the conversion of messages from a protocol of the sending network to a protocol used by the receiving network. When capitalized, the term “Internet” refers to the collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols. Currently, the most commonly employed method of transferring data over the Internet is to employ the World Wide Web environment, also called simply “the Web”. Other Internet resources exist for transferring information, such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Gopher, but have not achieved the popularity of the Web. In the Web environment, servers and clients effect data transaction using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a known protocol for handling the transfer of various data files (e.g., text, still graphic images, audio, motion video, etc.). The information in various data files is formatted for presentation to a user by a standard page description language, the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). The Internet also is widely used to transfer applications to users using browsers. Often times, users of may search for and obtain software packages through the Internet.
Other types of complex network data processing systems include those created for facilitating work in large corporations. In many cases, these networks may span across regions in various worldwide locations. These complex networks also may use the Internet as part of a virtual product network for conducting business. These networks are further complicated by the need to manage and update software used within the network.
As software evolves to become increasingly ‘autonomic’, the task of installing and configuring software will, more and more, be performed by the computers themselves, as opposed to being performed by administrators. The current installing and configuring mechanisms are moving towards an “autonomic” process. For example, many operating systems and software packages will automatically look for particular software components based on user-specified requirements. These installation and update mechanisms often connect to the Internet at a preselected location to see whether an update or a needed component is present. If the update or other component is present, the message is presented to the user in which the message asks the user whether to download and install the component. An example of such a system is the package management program “dselect” that is part of the open-source Debian GNU/Linux operating system.
A next block towards “autonomic” computing involves identifying and installing/downloading necessary hardware and software components without requiring user intervention. In such a next generation system, an autonomic configuration utility would install components in response to the detection of a need for particular functionality. In such a circumstance, there may not be a single hardware or software component for providing the needed functionality. Thus, it would be desirable for there to be a scheme whereby needed functionality may be obtained in the absence of a single component for providing the necessary functionality.